A haven forgotten

As the University positions itself to take full possession of the postal lands in less than two years, "eastward expansion" has become the new buzz phrase on campus. Seemingly everyone has turned his or her gaze east toward the soon-to-be-available 24 acres on the other side of 33rd Street.

What's perhaps most exciting about the acquisition is the prospect of linking Penn, and all of University City, to Philadelphia's "downtown" area. Indeed the Cira Centre, located just north of 30th Street Station, has already initiated what will be a cascade of construction, intended to extend Center City beyond the Schuylkill River.

Unfortunately, as the majority of students, faculty and administrators turn their attention toward integrating Penn and Center City, there is a good possibility that projects geared toward fostering better relations with West Philadelphia will be put on the back burner. In addition, as new building projects begin, funding may be diverted away from completing current renovations of pre-existing buildings on campus.

One prime example of unfinished business and community neglect can already be found at 4012 Walnut St. While the University's purse strings are pulled toward the Schuylkill, the Rotunda building, which symbolizes one of Penn's most exciting yet poorly funded community-outreach attempts, remains in desperate need of financial succor. According to University officials, $1 million is still needed to complete the building's makeover.

Built in 1911 by the Church of Christ, Scientist, the once-splendorous building is easily one of the most interesting on campus. Perhaps most famous is its spacious, brightly lit, domed sanctuary. The room, capable of entertaining large groups of people, exhibits a unique nonuple axis of symmetry. This defining characteristic provides the building with its "rounded" appearance, from which it derives its current name.

Penn has been superficially interested in the entire building at least since 1987, when University officials first sought to purchase it. In 1995, an agreement was reached, and the building was sold for $850,000. Then-President Judith Rodin announced that the venue would be transformed into a performing-arts facility.

In 1997, the University authorized a formal study on the feasibility of completing the building's transformation. The executive vice president at the time, John Fry, commented that renovations represented a possible "funding issue" for the University.

At one point, the Rotunda renovations were included as part of the Perelman Quadrangle revitalization project, at the time called "Perelman Plus." But by the time Irvine, Houston and Williams halls were completed, the "Plus" was dropped, and the Rotunda was forgotten.

Since Penn acquired the building over a decade ago, the sanctuary portion has only once been opened to the public. The overwhelming majority of events housed in the Rotunda have been held in its back room.

The building's neglect is unfortunate not only in light of its fascinating architecture, but also considering its important role on campus in the past five years.

In 1999, a group of students in an Urban Studies class came up with the idea of creating a community gathering place on campus for the promotion of arts and culture. As a result, the Foundation Community Arts Initiative was formed, and the Rotunda became the group's key instrument in improving relations between Penn and the broader West Philadelphia community.

Using "art as a catalyst for social change," the Foundation supports a variety of events throughout the year. This month, for example, the organization is featuring a public exhibit called "Insiders' Art," featuring over 100 pieces created by incarcerated artists.

Nothing, however, has successfully catalyzed change in the building's appearance over the past decade, and the "rotunda" portion of the building is still not entirely functional and hence unavailable to the community due to funding constraints. Despite the University's stated commitment to promoting community cultural events at the Rotunda, the building is not living up to its potential.

Four and a half years ago, this newspaper editorialized that "The University needs to make a serious commitment to revitalizing the Rotunda. While the current list of events may seem impressive, the space is not being used efficiently."

As all University eyes become fixated on eastern expansion, these words need repeated again today, with even greater emphasis. In turning our gaze eastward, toward Center City, let's not neglect existing building projects, like the Rotunda, and let's certainly not turn our back on West Philadelphia.

Andrew Rennekamp is a first-year Biomedical Ph.D. student from East Stroudsburg, Pa. Any Ice Today Lady? appears on Tuesdays.

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